Advantech EKI-7710E-2CI 8FE+2G Combo Managed Redundant Industrial Switch

Eight Fast Ethernet ports and two Gigabit combo uplinks in a managed switch

The Advantech EKI-7710E-2CI is a managed, redundant industrial Ethernet switch with eight 10/100BASE-T(X) RJ45 ports and two 10/100/1000BASE-T or SFP combo ports. The datasheet covers two variants: the -2CI for -40 to 75 degrees C and the standard -2C for -10 to 60 degrees C.

It uses X-Ring Pro for ring recovery in under 20 ms alongside RSTP/STP, MSTP and ERPS (G.8032), and includes the IXM function for fast deployment. The security pack adds 802.1X, ACL, RADIUS, TACACS+, MAB authentication, SNMPv3, HTTPS, SSH and SFTP, and management is by SNMP v1/v2c/v3, web, Telnet, standard and private MIBs and an NMS. Dual 12 to 48 VDC power inputs and a relay output provide power redundancy and alarm signalling.

Besides general industrial EMC, the datasheet lists traffic control (NEMA TS-2), railway trackside (EN 50121-4) and IEC 62443-4-2 SL2 entries, which goes beyond the general industrial entries of simpler switches.

Technical specifications

Ordering codes and where it fits

Two codes are listed in the datasheet: EKI-7710E-2CI-BE (8FE + 2G combo port managed switch with wide temperature) and EKI-7710E-2C-BE (the same switch for the standard temperature range).

The two gigabit combo ports let the unit act as a ring or backbone node: use copper or SFP fibre for the uplinks and the eight RJ45 ports for cameras, controllers and instruments. Typical selection factors are the temperature of the enclosure, the number of fibre uplinks and whether the ring protocol is X-Ring Pro or a standard such as RSTP or ERPS.

What to confirm before ordering

Choose between the -2CI and -2C by the cabinet temperature, list the SFP modules and fibre distance for the combo ports, and confirm the supply voltage and relay wiring. Note that the datasheet says an SFP copper module operates at 1000 Mbps only.

Planning a ring network with the EKI-7710E-2CI

The two Gigabit combo ports are the natural ring ports. Each can run either as a copper 10/100/1000BASE-T(X) port or with an SFP module, so a ring can mix short copper links inside a building with fibre links between substations, pump houses or field cabinets. The eight Fast Ethernet ports then connect local devices such as PLCs, remote I/O, HMIs, IP cameras and protocol gateways.

Choosing the redundancy protocol

• X-Ring Pro: Advantech’s ring protocol with recovery in under 20 ms; practical when all ring switches support it.
• ERPS (G.8032): a standardised ring protocol, useful for mixing switches from different vendors in one ring.
• RSTP / STP / MSTP: suited to mesh topologies and to integration with existing IT switching.

Recovery time in a real network also depends on ring size and configuration, so test failover during commissioning by disconnecting each ring link in turn.

Using the security features

Operational technology networks are increasingly audited against cybersecurity standards, and the IEC 62443-4-2 SL2 entry in the datasheet reflects this. In practice, the useful steps are to disable unused ports, change default credentials, use SSH and HTTPS instead of Telnet and HTTP, enable SNMPv3 rather than v1/v2c, apply 802.1X or MAB on ports that face field devices, and use ACLs to limit which hosts can reach the management interface. The dual firmware image allows an upgrade to be rolled back if a problem appears.

Power and alarm wiring

Feed the two 12 to 48 VDC inputs from separate power supplies or separate DC circuits, so that a single supply failure does not stop the switch. Wire the relay output to a PLC input or an alarm panel so that a power or port fault is reported to operators rather than discovered later.

Installation in GCC field cabinets

The -2CI version covers -40 to 75 °C, which suits outdoor kiosks, RTU cabinets on pipelines, solar plant combiner areas and traffic control cabinets where internal temperatures in Oman and the wider GCC rise well above the ambient air in summer. Even with a wide-temperature switch, cabinet shading, ventilation and dust filtering extend the life of all electronics in the enclosure. Fibre SFP links are also worth considering for long runs between cabinets, because they avoid ground potential differences and lightning-induced surges on copper.

What to include in an RFQ

• Model: EKI-7710E-2CI (wide temperature) or EKI-7710E-2C (standard temperature).
• Number of SFP modules, with fibre type (multimode or single-mode) and distance.
• Power supply voltage available in the cabinet.
• Ring protocol required and other switches already on the network.
• Quantity and delivery location.

Documents and quotation

The attached datasheet is the Advantech EKI-7710E-2C / 2CI sheet of September 2025. Send the variant, quantity and SFP requirement to Seven Star LLC for a quotation. Other communication products are grouped in Industrial Communications.